CCP Games, one of the world’s leading independent game developers and creators of leading sci-fi massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), EVE Online, today announced the upgrade to Stackless Python 2.5, a high-level programming language, and its internal build system to Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, Microsoft’s flagship software development tool, providing additional support to EVE Online’s current programming infrastructure. This upgrade will meet the need to support the rapid growth of EVE Online’s subscriber base and simplify the programming language to be more effective for the game.

EVE Online is the most exciting Stackless-based application ever, said Christian Tismer, Stackless Python creator and Managing Director of Tismerysoft. The dual update of Python 2.5 with Stackless 3.1 gives a major boost in efficiency by allowing frequent operations to be executed 10 times faster than the previous versions.

The upgrade to Stackless Python 2.5 will utilize significantly less memory than demanded from Python 2.3 and noticeably increase the performance of the game through better server response, enhanced CPU efficiency and improved frame rates.

We have seen EVE Online grow exponentially as a game in general and in its technical complexity, said Halldor Fannar CTO of CCP Games. The innovative simplicity of Python allows us to break the shackles of more established but cumbersome programming models. The 2.5 upgrade of Python allows us to improve the performance of EVE Online and sets a platform for future upgrades that will improve the subscriber experience.

Subscribers will be able to download the most recent upgrade for free at www.eve-online.com.